


With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

by Katrinathe1st



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Peter Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, spideyson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 13:01:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18756952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katrinathe1st/pseuds/Katrinathe1st
Summary: Peter had said the words before, because he always thought they'd been said for him. Little did he know that when he'd said them himself, Tony had listened.Aka: After the funeral, Pepper shows Peter a message from Tony.





	With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

Peter had been silent most of the trip there. He’d only spoken when spoken to. He couldn’t muster up the words for conversation. It was as if… as if he was hollow. Like a piece of him was missing. 

Well, in way, there was.

And he stayed quiet for the entire service. He was silent, even when the others began leaving. He still hadn’t said a word when Pepper turned to head back towards the house. They were the last ones there.

“Oh, Peter…” Her voice showed no signs that she’d been crying, even though her cheeks were soaked with tears. She smiled, albeit sadly.

Peter only nodded his head ever so slightly. She was so strong. Even if he’d wanted to, he knew he wouldn’t be able to smile. He hadn’t smiled in days. Or slept. Or really eaten.

She took a few timid steps towards him, before he was suddenly pulled into her arms. She hugged him warmly, not tightly, like May did, or gruffly, like Ned. Or… or enveloped him, like Tony had…

He remembered just in time to lift his own arms and hug her back. She pulled away and pushed some of her hair out of her face. Her hands rested on his shoulders. 

“Hey, Miss Potts.” He flushed a little. It was Mrs. Stark now. He kept forgetting. 

She swallowed at this. For a few tense moments, he thought she was going to start crying. But she didn’t. Rather, she sighed heavily, and nodded. “Peter… I don’t want to forget. Before you leave I have something to show you.” She began leading him towards the house, and he had no choice but to follow. He took once last look over his shoulder at the wreath that was long gone by now, far out on the lake.

Pepper led him up the stairs and down a hallway. Finally, she stopped in front of a door, which she slowly opened. It was a bedroom. It looked like it belonged to a boy, with authentic Star Wars posters on the walls, and a Star Trek lamp on the bedside table. There was a ragged backpack sitting on the desk chair, which he was surprised to realize belonged to him. 

He looked to Pepper, not knowing what to say.

But she was already moving to the desk, where she began fiddling with a small pad. She brought it to peter and pressed it in his hands. “I’ll leave you, for a few moments. I’ll be right downstairs.” 

And then, with the soft click of the door, she was gone.

Peter went to the bed and gingerly sat down. He looked at the small object he held in the palm of his hand. It was a Stark contraption of sorts, with one singular button at the bottom. With only a moment of slight hesitation, he pressed it.

Instantly, a blue hologram appeared in front of him, right at the foot of the bed. Peter leaned back out of pure instinct, but after the initial surprise was gone, he fell still. 

It was Mr. Stark. He appeared to be fiddling with something- a flip phone. He was twirling it around in his hands, and looking off into the distance. He wore an expression that Peter had seen on his face many times. It meant he was thinking.

He sighed. “Hey, Pete.” He tossed the phone in the air and deftly caught it again, before he stood up from an invisible chair. “If you’re seeing this, something must’ve gone wrong. Well, I mean, technically, something must’ve gone right if you’re back…” He chuckled, and looked back down at the phone. “But it means something did go wrong on my end. And I don’t want… I don’t want you thinking…” He paused. “I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I never really told you before… before Thanos. But, gosh kid. It’s been hell living without you. I can’t help but think what I could’ve done differently- heck I could’ve died. If Strange had just kept the stone, none of this would’ve happened.” Tony looked up then, right at Peter, as if he really saw him. It was only then that Peter became aware of how the tears were pouring down his face. Of how miserable he must look. Out of habit, Peter lifted a hand to smooth his hair. 

“But if there’s one thing you taught me, kid. It’s that you don’t give up, no matter who’s gone or who isn’t.” Uncle Ben. Peter stifled a sob, wrapping his arms about himself as he rocked back and forth on the bed. He stared, dry-eyed, trying to keep from letting the dams burst. “You taught me to be brave, to… keep going even if people tell you it’s impossible.” Tony threw his hands in the air. “I recall saying something. Something like, ‘I wanted you to be better’- let me tell you right now, Pete, that you’re better then I can ever be. I’m a better man since meeting you. And I couldn’t be more grateful.” Tony looked away, before saying quietly. “’With great power, comes great responsibility’. You told me that, Pete.” He looked up, again, looking directly at Peter. “And I haven’t forgotten it. But Pete, move on. I know you, I know how you cling to Ben and how you hang on to that guilt- don’t do that for me. Please don’t. Because I’ve lived with the guilt of your death hanging over my head for five danged years. I don’t want you to go through that.” 

Peter pressed his chin against his elbows that were wrapped around his knees. He sniffed loudly, blinking away tears.

“So, yeah bud. Just take care of your Aunt. Be a good big brother to Morgan. I know you’ll be great. Don’t do drugs, stay in school. And you’ll be fine. Make sure Happy stays out of trouble-” As Tony said this, he turned and started walking away, punching at the buttons on the flip phone. Just as he lifted it to his ear, he gave a smile and tipped his head. “You’ll be just fine.” And with that, the hologram fluttered into darkness. 

Peter broke. Hiding his face in his elbow, he let a sob tear at his throat. His back shook, the tears fell, and he felt positively miserable.

He’d lost another Dad; another surrogate father. Only this was worse. Because this time Peter had to listen to goodbyes, without saying any of his own. Without being able to tell Tony how sorry he truly was, or how much he’d meant to him.


End file.
